No. 13 Gators seek continued balance in start of SEC play

GAINESVILLE – Florida coach Billy Donovan is careful when he draws comparisons between this year's team and the ones from 2006 and 2007. He's not saying these Gators are on the same level as the ones that won back-to-back national championships.

But, he knows this group can have that kind of pick-your-poison offense that makes guarding them a losing proposition. As No. 13 Florida (12-3) heads into SEC play at Tennessee (7-7) on Saturday (11 a.m., ESPN2), it's that balance Donovan wants his team to continue to work toward.

"I think that's what you want to have is that kind of balance where you look down at a stat sheet and maybe you don't have anybody averaging 25 points, but you know on a given night, there may be three, four, five players that could get 25 points," Donovan said. "We have the ability that on a given night, someone's got the opportunity."

The past month has been a step forward for a team that entered the season heavy on guards but has become more well-rounded as players adjust to their roles. In the frontcourt, Patric Young's offensive game has improved since the start of December as his teammates have become more aware of where and when to get him the ball. He's scored in double figures in seven of the team's nine games since Dec. 2.

In the backcourt, continued selflessness has been the key. The past two games have highlighted the sacrifice Donovan has preached to his players. On Dec. 31, senior PG Erving Walker took just four shots and scored 3 points. In the same game, freshman Bradley Beal scored 11.

Three days later, it was Walker who scored 23 on a career-high seven 3-pointers and Beal who scored only five points but also had five assists.

Led by Kenny Boynton's 19.5 points per game, the Gators' starting five are averaging double figures in scoring. (Reserve guard Mike Rosario is averaging 9.0 points per game, but seems unlikely to play as he continues to deal with a sprained ankle.) Only No. 2 Kentucky has players (six) at that mark heading into SEC play.

"The big guys, they post up, Erik (Murphy) steps up and knocks down a 3-point shot. And with the perimeter guys shooting the ball," said first-year Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin, "that's a tough thing to deal with. They're a well-balanced team from top to bottom."

The maturity to recognize what the defense is allowing and be OK with a limited offensive role is what Donovan asks of his players. On the title teams, the players accepted that one night might be best for the frontcourt to take over a game, another best for the guards. Accepting a limited role in those situations is what set those teams apart, Donovan said.

"It's that understanding that less is more sometimes," he said. "I think that's the one thing that made those guys so unique and special."

This year's team must also show it can win on the road, which is hasn't done in three games this season. The Gators suffered losses to top-10 teams – at No. 1 Syracuse and at No. 6 Ohio State – as well as in double overtime at Rutgers.

In all three, they struggled to take care of the ball. While UF leads the SEC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.5, it has a .74 mark in its road games with 40 assists and 54 turnovers.

Improving that, as well as continuing to build the balance that has been important in nonconference play, will help Florida as it tries to win a second consecutive SEC title.